Using the Sense with tachycardia

[MagisterMundi]

Hi there -

I  just recently got a Sense, and while I like it so far, there is one problem: I have tachycardia, and the Sense/the Fitbit app seem to struggle with that. More specifically, my resting heart rate is typically around 120 (±5) BPM. According to my Sense, and as mirrored on the Fitbit app, this means I'm considered moderately active and in the "Fat-burning Zone" 100% of the time.

This is having some unintended consequences. Case in point: after watching YouTube videos in my office chair for a few hours, I was notified that I had met my weekly activity goal for the week. Obviously, I have done nothing of the sort. It also appears to be giving me spare calories hand over fist because it thinks I'm sort of Terminator just constantly working out for hours on end based on my heart rate, which makes accurate calorie tracking difficult as well.

Is there any way to adjust for someone like myself with tachycardia? I've poked around a bit and found "custom heart rate zones" as an option, but I have no idea how to set those up, if indeed that's the answer.

Any help would be appreciated!

[sarcazm · Accepted solution]

I have the sinus tachy and the only workaround I have found regarding heart rate is to manually enter in the best data you have (with enough searching you might be able to find some formulas for this, like for people who have POTS and also try to calculate their own target zones).  once that is set up try to make sure the data carries across to everything you use to access your fitbit stuff; watch, app, dashboard, etc.  

in order to edit your heart rate zones tap to the tile on your app with the current BPM:

then this screen will show up with the settings cog icon at the top right.  click that.

at the top you can set your notifications for when you are doing absolutely nothing for 10 minutes like lying down relaxing and get tachy above your normal levels.  likewise, if you drop below a certain level.  unfortunately the lowest you can set this at is 60 which isn't helpful for a lot of people.

below that, under exercise, is where you can either just set a high heart rate different from Fitbit's generic 220-age OR you can get specific with it.  Mind you, the more you tweak it then the watch on your wrist won't tell you when you go between your own personalized zones via notification on your wrist or anything. 


As for caloric intake I also edit mine manually but do so via the dashboard on my laptop, and use a smart scale and macros online to calculate a best-estimate BMR/RMR.  haven't figured out a way to tweak it well enough anywhere but there yet, sorry.